Happy Independence Day!

Countless Indians suffered centuries of pain to wait for this day! 15 August! Let us make their dreams come true! Be Patriotic Indians! Happy Independence Day! 

Aashiqui 2 and Loss of decent life

Ever since I watched Ashiqui-2, I wanted to write about it. Because I found some threads in it difficult to contain.

When we went to watch the movie, it was third week since its release and yet the theatre was fully occupied. I think since the star-caste was new, people did not have very high expectations of it in the beginning but word-of-mouth resulted in gradual increase in its viewership. From what could be felt, everyone in the theatre enjoyed it a lot.

The story though had some repeated threads like damsel in distress; rich boy falling for poor girl, etc, by the end story was unique and not seen before. I am assuming that you have watched it or know its story. At the end Rahul (played by Aditya Roy Kapoor) is shown as committing suicide because he felt he was being a burden on his girl Aarohi and her bright career was suffering because of him. But somehow I felt he thought his life was over at the beginning of the movie itself, when he no longer was a celebrity. He had gotten used to extreme fame and celebrity status and he could not reconcile with the fact that his stardom had faded (though I don’t think he had lost his golden voice, but his drinking habit was killing him; and btw, this movie should be awarded and celebrated for its anti-alcohol stance). Once he could not perform in a small town he just gave up. He gave up against struggling and trying any more for his career. But the role of his enemies to disrupt him and frequently violently attack him were very unfortunate and it seems if they had not played havoc in his life, Rahul could have lived longer. Also, Rahul being a victim of his own fame, could not contact the Police or authorities; something which he should have done. 

Exactly at the point in his life when Rahul had given up every hope, he found the girl and hence found a “purpose” in his life. Such wasteful situations are drag; why should he, who had everything which is mark of a successful person, be so fed up of life? It is certainly because he or people like him fail to see the higher purpose in life. If purpose of life was only to eat, drink and enjoy life, then certainly, a lot of people should feel they have had enough and decide to quit! And ‘quitting’ would mean jumping off the bridge! I always see these Bollywood heroes earning so much money that they won’t be able to spend in a thousand lives! Certainly they are not going to take all money to the next life, so what is it that they want by only ‘taking’ and not ‘giving back’? When I heard that Vivek Oberoi (I am his big fan btw) had adopted some villages devastated by Tsunami and helped rebuilding it, I felt it such a wonderful job. One can’t be in one’s right sense of mind and yet don’t see so many ways in which we can contribute to our country’s progress. It is irony that people who don’t have that kind of money speak and think about helping the country, but those who have it never really try to do it. Getting back to the story; while it was depressing to find that Rahul had given up all hopes, it was elating to see what he was doing for Aarohi. Aarohi seemed to be on a dream-ride where a big man Rahul Jaykar was helping her build her successful career, helping her parents to get out of a pit of poverty and at the same time seemed to be in love with her. What more could a girl ever desire?

Yet in the end Rahul took suicidal decision after getting fed up with his decisions to quit drinking which he could never stop. The portrayal of slaves of drinking is so wonderfully done; I don’t know why I don’t hear government giving the movie some award. Perhaps it is because the end was negative. Anyways, how could Rahul and Aarohi have had a different end? I think I have a quick solution – a wedding. I think they should have got married after Aarohi established herself well in the industry and won awards for her. But I think the biggest challenge was to answer “what does he do?” Rahul did nothing, other than supporting Aarohi. Whatever hope his friend and assistant could see for resurrecting Rahul’s career, was lost ever since he got into this train of love without expectations. But somehow I think that by loving Aarohi, Rahul was giving his own life one last chance…

I am sure if they had got married, Rahul and Aarohi could have got ahead quite well. Rahul would have felt the necessity of doing ‘something’ and hence could have either gotten back to singing or started some new venture. Given his contacts in the industry and past success, it was not difficult for him to do a lot of things and be successful at those. But his drinking habit which made him go down often, and his ‘status quo’ with nothing new visible in life, made him take a decision he was ready since a long time back – to quit.

 

I am essentially mourning for loss of his life. Though I know it happened only in movies, it is likely to be the real story of some real person, if not today then tomorrow. Why should people live such a life that they lose all hope? Also, I am slightly biased towards sensible gentlemen; because while I can find many gentle and sensible girls and ladies, I don’t find many men. Men who would not hurt others; won’t be power crazy and money ‘minded’; who would help others in need; and spread a smile… Too good men are too few now a day. Therefore I felt a personal loss when Rahul took that decision; as if I lost a good genuine friend too…

Now my secret wish is that the movie makers make Aashiqui-3. Aashiqui-2 did not show any dead body; so they could show that Rahul had not really jumped; or may be jumped only to find another man jumping too and tried to save him and came out of the river downstream at some distance. He spends 5 years in a village, may be helping the village stand on their feet; all the while remaining invisible and also forgetting his drinking habit; and one day he gets to read a newspaper which carries Aarohi’s story. Aarohi had not married anyone else and had waited for him. The story should be of their union and everything should become alright and ‘happy ending’… I strongly feel a new part should come and Rahul and Aarohi should get united. After all they can do whatever they like in movies! If they broke our heart in Aashiqui-2, let them heal us in Aashiqui-3!

Corporate Chanakya by Radhakrishnan Pillai

‘Corporate Chanakya: Successful Management the Chanakya Way’

By: Radhakrishnan Pillai

Jaico Publishing House

ISBN 978-81-8495-133-2

Through this book, the author has tried to present ancient learning from Chanakya (also named Kautilya) and his writings in Arthsashtra for today’s managers, business leaders and the corporate world. The back cover of the book starts author’s introduction as follows:

Radhakrishnan Pillai, formally educated in management and consultancy, has an MA in Sanskrit and a doctorate in Arthashastra. He studied the ancient text the Arthashastra at Chinmaya International Foundation, Kerala, under the guidance of Dr. Gangadharan Nair.

The book is divided into many parts based on the area of focus. The book is not simply translation work, or complete verse and their meanings. In each unit on a particular theme, the author first introduces the topic, then quotes some of Chanakya’s verses in English and then explains and elaborates in bulleted points. Overall, this can be a complete course of MBA from organizational perspective. I will not be surprised if someday this is included in some BSchool’s curriculum. At least at graduation level (e.g. BBA) this can be immediately included.

After reading this book, one remains in great reverence and respect towards Chanakya for his wisdom and knowledge, and also courage to compile his thoughts and share it for future world. Then Dr. Pillai needs to be immensely credited for this wonderful book. I am quoting a few randomly selected verses from Chanakya for my reference, though this will not give idea about the overall book.

For those who support a theft (or hide a thief); punishment shall be that for a thief. (4.8.6)

In case of non-payment of the wage, the fine is one tenth or six panas. In case of denial, the fine is twelve panas or one fifth. (3.13.33)

All state activities depend first on the Treasury. Therefore, a king (leader) shall devote the best attention to it. (2.8.1-2)

One doing whatever pleases him does not achieve anything. (7.11.35)

Does God Laugh?

Does God laugh? This is what someone asked. And a reply from a friend followed: “I am not sure if God laughs, but I think He smiles. He smiles every time sun rises and every time the moon lights up the sky.” What do I think of this reply?

Sun never rises and moon never lights up the sky; the way we look at these celestial bodies. Sun and moon are always just moving on their respective trajectories. It is we who sees a sun "rising" and we smile at a sunrise because it brings energy to us. Also, when one side of the earth is lighted by the Sun, the opposite side of the very earth falls into darkness! What we see Day here, is called Night on the other side of the same earth! And the idea of moon lighting the night sky is also absurd if we think about it. The light which we see coming from the moon is actually Sun’s light; moon is only reflecting it towards earth! But we take things on face value and hence we see greatness or meanness, good or bad, day or night, light or darkness…

Therefore, it is too difficult to say that God smiles at events of this universe...  I think smiling and crying are human or jeeva-related phenomena. Did you ever wonder if plants and trees smile and crack jokes too? And just because apparently they did not, they would become unlikable for us? I think we humans are too narrow-minded and hence judge every other thing according to our own set of principles and customs.

I think if God would smile, God won’t smile at sunrises alone. He would smile both at what we call sunrises and sunsets; both on days and nights; and so on... For God, both of what we call days and night, light and darkness, etc, would appear the same… If God ‘smiles’, God would ‘smile’ always…

There is an interesting episode from Ramayana. Princes Rama and Bharat were so much similar in looks that people often used to get confused about who was who. Some people saw Rama going to forest after he needed to go in order to fulfill his parent’s wishes, to keep his Dharma. Sometime afterwards Bharat went to persuade him to return to the throne and people watched him going on the same path too. Someone asked the other about how come Rama was going on the same path twice; not able to understand who was who! The wise person was able to know who was who. That wise person said something like: “the first one who went on this path was Rama and the second one was Bharat. How I am sure about it? Because first one who went on this path had a smile on his face and he looked no sad; the second one was sad. So first one must be Ram and second one Bharat!”

Is not it interesting that the prospect of losing his right to the throne did not make Rama sad? How could he keep his smile? One can say that he could still smile because he remembered that he was able to obey to his parents’ words! But I think it was more than that. He was smiling because that was His nature! God is like God. We call God nice if we find things appearing favorable to us and we call God harsh if we find things tough around us. But God is always God like!

- Rahul

 

- Rahul